Poison
by Aldara Gaea
Summary: Another Lily and James song fic. It's not long after the summer holidays of their 6th year and Lily is starting to crack. Ever since she heard a certain song on the radio at home she can't get it  or a certain black haired someone  out of her head.


**Last upload for a while, I think. Another J/L one, but with a bit of a twist… Surprisingly, this is the one that I think is most realistic… even though Lily is just a little bit naughtier than we tend to imagine her. This is also included in my longer James and Lily fic (which I'll post later, depending on how this is received) but it really needs the lyrics with it to be fully appreciated. I'd recommend that you listen to the song while you read… or at least listen to it first so you get the tune in your head, it really helps.**

_**Lyrics are Alice Cooper's "Poison"**_** and the characters are all the property of JK Rowling. ENJOY!**

**Poison**

_You're cruel device  
__your blood, like ice  
__One look, could kill  
__My pain, your thrill..._

I shake my head. No… get OUT of my head. I turn my attention back to the board in front of me. Professor McGonagall is writing up another of her complicated explanations for some spell… but I just can't concentrate. I find my eyes straying from the perfect white lines of writing – to a certain black haired boy across the aisle from me. No, NO – look at the board… concentrate on something other than him.

"As you can see," Professor McGonagall continues, "this spell is particularly complex. This is due to the difficult phrasing…"

The professor's voice is going in and out of focus like a badly tuned radio. I pick up my quill and start to doodle, not really paying any attention to either the lesson, or what I'm actually writing. All I know is that I need to distract myself from thinking about him.

"Miss Evans?"

With a jolt I look up from my parchment. Oh no – I just got caught. Now everyone is looking at me. I can see prissy Patil smirking at me behind McGonagall's back and Alice's sympathetic grimace out of the corner of my eye – she's been caught daydreaming by McGonagall so many times that she doesn't even have to stay back after the lesson to arrange her detentions. And then my eyes wander to him again. Oh hell, that smile… I'm not going to be able to wriggle my way out of trouble if my brain is fuzzy from his stupid…

"I have every confidence that you can master this spell with minimal effort, Miss Evans, but I'd appreciate it if you would pay closer attention in my class."

I look down at my parchment and mumble an apology, my face is turning red – I just know it. I read what I have just written and my cheeks grow even warmer. Great. Just great. So much for distracting myself, huh? I can't believe that he is getting to me so bad – I've lasted five years, how can I suddenly just change my mind like this? Its just not…

"Miss Evans!!"

"Yes, professor?" I jerk my head back up and look her squarely in the eye. No distractions, no looking around the room this time.

"Perhaps you would like to tell us the correct pronunciation of this spell."

"Um…" I look at the words that she has written in the middle of the paragraph – big bold letters that signify that those are the incantation we're learning. "Thaana…" now I can hear the girls in the back giggling, the heat is again infusing my pale cheeks, "I don't know how, ma'm."

"Yes, well I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to join me for a detention – see me after class please."

Oh man… detention? I NEVER get detentions! I nod and look down at my parchment once more. There's no point in paying attention now – I can't get into much more trouble for doing nothing. The bright green words on my page are jumping up at my eyes in time with the music in my head. Ever since I heard that new song when I was home for the summer holidays….

_I wanna love you but I better not touch  
__I wanna hold you, but my senses tell me to stop  
__I wanna kiss you but I want it too much  
__I wanna taste you but your lips are venomous poison  
__You're poison running through my veins  
__You're poison  
__I don't wanna break these chains._

Professor McGonagall's voice is still droning on, and I start drawing with my quill again. He's still there, in my head. I just can't get that puckering smirk out of my mind's eye, and two little words on the parchment before me are slowly burning into the background of that image like a branding iron.

James Potter.

No, I just don't believe this. I'm not supposed to like James Potter. He and I are completely different. In every way – like chalk and cheese, we just don't work! But I can't help it. I let myself give a tiny smile as I start to embellish the words. Little scratchy strokes, emphasizing this letter, making that one curl a little more… there's just one thing missing. I can't believe I'm thinking of this; its just not me. I shake my head with a grin as I move my quill across the parchment to write the final little word at the start that'll make my masterpiece complete.

Mrs.

Whoa…. It's unbelievable how good that looks. I read it again, the words rolling around in my mind like a wind. No, more like a hurricane – just picking up everything else in my brain and throwing it away into nothing.

Mrs. James Potter.

"Looks good doesn't it?"

With a start I look up again. Oh no… please not – yep, it's him. Ahhh – I could just sink into the floor right now! How did he sneak up on me like that? I didn't even hear the bell ring! Hang on… class hasn't finished yet. I look up and see Professor McGonagall has her back turned – she's helping Peter copy down his notes from the board. James must have put him up to it.

"Quick, someone find me an invisibility cloak," I groan, trying to ignore how close he is right now.

With that irresistible grin of his, he slides next to me so that we're sharing a seat. I can feel his warm breath on my neck and I'm very aware right now that my face is beet red.

"Great minds must think alike Evans," he whispers softly, "because I was just thinking the same thing."

He smiles at me suggestively, just daring me to react – to slap him or yell at him or something, but he knows I wouldn't dare right now. Oh help. I look at Alice next to me, who I know is trying desperately not to burst out laughing, and I'm forced to look at him once more. What am I supposed to say in reply to that?

_Your mouth, so hot  
__Your web, I'm caught  
__Your skin, so wet  
__Black lace, on sweat_

"You know, I do actually have an invisibility cloak – would you like to test it out with me? I've always wanted to disappear in the middle of a class," he stops and I can practically see the cogs turning in his brain.

"Oh, please don't," I moan. "I'm already in enough trouble as it is."

He looks at me, his melting hazel eyes holding mine like magnets. Then, with a quick shrug and a smile he turns around and dashes back to his seat; just as McGonagall turns around.

"Mr. Potter – could you please just stay in your seat and do your work?"

James smiles, that cheeky, up-to-mischief smile… oh don't I know that one too well? He's going to do something, and I'm sure I'm not going to like it.

"I'm sorry professor – but I couldn't help it!" he says, his voice so perfectly innocent sounding that you know its fake. He looks at me and I swear he winked. "You know how it is professor – Evans was distracting me again! She was already so close… I just couldn't help but…"

I groan and put my head in my hands. Just great. Way to go bozo! Professor McGonagall seems to be just as impressed as I am. I swear I'll make hippogriff food out of him one day.

"We don't have time to be flinging hormones around the room at this time of the year, Mr. Potter. I think I'm going to have to ask you to stay back after the lesson to get a detention time with Miss Evans."

James grins widely at her, then turns to me and gives another wink. Great Merlin… what was I thinking? I can't seriously like this guy – nuhuh, nooooo way!

_I hear you calling and it's needles and pins  
__I wanna hurt you just to hear you screaming my name  
__Don't wanna touch you but you're under my skin  
__I wanna kiss you but your lips are venomous poison  
__You're poison running through my veins  
__You're poison  
__I don't wanna break these chains_

When the bell finally rings I pack up my books in a hurry. The offending piece of parchment is still on the desk when I'm done, and I pick it up with the intention of scrunching it to put in the bin, but I stop at the last moment and quickly shove it into my bag with the rest of my stuff. Alice smiles knowingly at me as we walk toward the front of the room.

"I'll see you in Herbology in a second," she assures me with a squeeze on the arm. I nod and try to smile.

I join James at the front desk and wait awkwardly. Finally she looks up at the two of us. The look on her face is peculiar; like she's trying very hard to repress a smile.

"I must say that I'm very disappointed in your behaviour today, Miss Evans – I expect better from you." She pauses and I hang my head. How shame – this is why I HATE getting into trouble; the disappointment just kills me. I can see Potter out of the corner of my eye, looking at me stupidly. Knucklehead.

"As for you Mr. Potter, I can only imagine what schemes I may be preventing for one evening by giving you a detention," Professor McGonagall chuckles as James bows with a flourish.

"You honour me professor, I'm blushing," he says smoothly. Oh I could gag – he's flirting with a teacher!

"Well," she glances down at her notes, "I think I'd like to see you both for your detention tonight – Filch has been asking us to catch a pair of troublemakers to polish the trophies in the Trophy room all week. Please report to me at my office straight after dinner to collect the cloths and polish you'll need."

With that she goes back to her notes. I quickly turn to the door and practically run to Herbology – anything to get away from him.

_Running deep inside my veins  
__Poison burning deep inside my veins_

Alice is laughing at me. She can really be evil sometimes, you know – like the queen of hell. As usual, her dirty blonde hair is all over the place and, as usual, it's making her look not only crazy as a hag but absolutely stunning.

"I'm sorry Lily – really I am," she's saying to me between fits of gasping giggles, "but… but I can just imagine… you and Potter locked up in that Trophy room… all by yourselves… in the dark…" again she brakes down in helpless laughter.

I can feel my cheeks glowing again. Professor Hoppet, our new Herbology teacher, is looking at us weird. Why couldn't I have had a normal life? Where I have NORMAL friends… not banshees who scream in laughter as I fall over.

"Alice… please be quiet! I don't want to get into anymore trouble," I whisper frantically as I continue to bash on the pulsing pod before me.

At the table next to us, the sound of low laughter reaches me. I don't even have to look to be able to tell who it's coming from – the Marauders. Lead by Potter… and the king.

Sirius Black.

Alice has noticed that I've lost concentration. I swear – she and Sirius are a match made in heaven… no, no – in hell. She's the queen and he's the king, and they execute my torment hand in hand. I'm trying to hear what they're saying, not that I don't know what they're talking about anyway.

"You know, Padfoot, I think this is the first detention my Lily has ever gotten!" James is saying. Black chuckles with that dog like growl of his and I notice Alice shiver. "She was standing there with her head down and looking like it was the end of the world – I nearly died I tell you."

Whoa, what was that? Now I'm really interested – that was the most unexpected comment coming from Potter.

"But I thought you said that you wanted to get into detention with her," pipes up Peter Pettigrew. I've never liked Peter… and I still don't quite understand why James insists on letting him hang around.

"Yeah, that's not what I'm talking about Wormtail!" Potter snaps distractedly and pauses. I risk a glance– he looks sad, depressed almost. "I just didn't like seeing her so down because of something as stupid as a detention."

I can feel Alice looking at me, and I quickly go back to my work. My face is warm again… I really wish it wouldn't do that. How am I supposed to continue like this if my face gives me away every time?

"Just promise me," I hear Black say, and from how clearly I can hear his voice I know he's looking at my now turned back. "Promise that you'll tell us what you get up to tonight, huh Prongs?

Alice snorts with laughter. "Same goes for you missy," she whispers to me, and I can see her winking at Sirius behind my back.

You see what I mean? King and Queen of Hell.

_One look, could kill  
__My pain, your thrill..._

Its dinner now and I am currently loathing this. Alice hasn't looked at me with a straight face all day, and every time I turn around, I can see everyone staring at me. They all seem to know something I don't and its driving me insane!

"Just eat your food already," Alice tells me impatiently. Its like she WANTS me to be in detention all night.

"So much for being my best friend, Alice," I reply. "Are you going to rush me to the gallows when I'm sentenced to death just as quickly?"

Alice just snorts into her pudding and continues to wolf down her food. A couple of seats down the table, Sirius is mirroring her – like he's trying to out-do her or something. I don't know why he doesn't just hurry up and ask her out already – they really are made for each other. But then again, some would say the same about Potter and me.

"That's it, I'm going to go now," I say and I push my plate away from me as I stand. "I'll see you later, Alice."

Alice just grins at me. Bully.

I walk quickly to Professor McGonagall's office, I know Potter can't be far behind – he's very dependable like that. I just want this detention over and done with so that I can go back to my normal self – the less time I have to spend with Potter, the better. Maybe I can even convince McGonagall to give me something else to do; anything to get away from him…

Nope, no such luck. Somehow, Potter is already at the door, talking to the professor. Oh well, it was nice to hope. Here it goes.

"Well then, now that you're both here," she says. "May I have your wands please? I will keep them with me, but I must ensure that you will not cheat, among other things…" She gives Potter a hard look and he chuckles. Oh dear.

I pull my wand out of my pocket and hand it over reluctantly, receiving two blue cloths and a tin of silver polish in return. I guess it's a good thing I'm muggle-born; it would have been unbearable if I'd had to get Potter to teach me how to polish.

"Come with me then."

I fall behind the professor as she marches us to the Trophy room. There's no way she's going to let either of us get out of this… there's no way she's going to let ME get out of this - I think Potter is quite happy with the whole mess.

Oh no, we've reached the Trophy room. Do I really have to go in? I give McGonagall a pleading look as she holds the door open for us. Please??

"I will be locking all the doors to the room and shall return to let you out at," she looks at her watch, "nine o'clock. That should be plenty of time, don't you think Mr Potter?"

James was grinning very broadly, but now he has a serious expression - like he's thinking.

"It should be enough, professor," he says finally.

I'm doomed - that's three hours with Potter, polishing trophies. Someone hex me now! If he does anything, there's no way I'm going to be able to resist… particularly seeing as I don't even have my wand with me.

"Well then," Professor McGonagall is saying, "I will see the two of you then."

And with that, the door is closed. I hear the funny squelch noise that means she has performed a simple locking charm. My fate has been sealed.

_I wanna love you but I better not touch  
__I wanna hold you, but my senses tell me to stop  
__I wanna kiss you but I want it too much  
__I wanna taste you but your lips are venomous poison  
__You're poison running through my veins  
__You're poison  
__I don't wanna break these chains_

"So…" I look around the room awkwardly, "where do we start?"

Potter is looking at me with an unreadable look on his face. That can't be right - I always know what Potter is thinking. This is just too weird.

"How about we start with the Service to the School awards?" he suggests. That's it? What about the arrogant comment about himself first? But no, he just walks over to a corner of the room, and he picks up a trophy and starts to polish it with one of the cloths.

Amazing.

"Sounds fine to me," I reply and join him in the corner. The trophies here are particularly dusty.

"This is where I left off last time," he tells me pleasantly, "so I figured we should polish them first." I nod and pick up a crest with a gold plaque bearing the name of some family who had donated to Hogwarts to start the Quidditch program. Wow, I thought they'd always played Quidditch at Hogwarts.

"I suppose you find yourself in here quite regularly," I comment. Ouch, that was a little harsh wasn't it? Potter just shrugs.

"Yeah, it's usually worth it though," he says with a mischievous grin at me. I can't help but smile back; his smile is infectious I tell you.

"Don't you ever get tired of making trouble Potter?" I ask. You know, I don't think I've ever really had an intelligent conversation with him before; this is really interesting.

Potter shakes his head. "Its too much fun," he says, "and it's a challenge - having to come up with a different prank each time so that you're not too predictable. Besides, I'm positive that it's a crime to do the same prank twice… to the same person anyway."

I laugh. He really has a warped way of looking at things. Why would someone like him go for me? A bossy, high tempered, boring little witch like me can't really be all that attractive to such a handsome and smart guy.

"What's wrong?"

I look up from my polishing. He's looking down at me with those gorgeous hazel eyes, a look of concern in his face. You know, he's always been able to tell when I'm upset - a bit annoying really. Man, we're really close… why did I put myself so close to him?

"N-nothing Potter," I manage to say. Yeah - real smooth Lily, real smooth.

Potter frowns. "Do you have to call me Potter, Lily?" he asks sadly.

"Uh…" yes I do you dolt! I don't want to be too friendly; you might get to me if I start thinking of you as James… James. He sighs and shakes his head.

"I'm sorry Lily, I just keep hoping for something that's never going to happen."

He looks away, dejectedly. Now I feel bad; he's only ever been good to me. I should really give him a break - its not like it'll kill me or anything…

"There's no reason to be sorry… James."

He looks down at me again. Oh I could so melt right now. He's getting closer - I should stop him, I shouldn't be letting him…

_Poison!_

Oh wow. That's something I should've done a long time ago. I look up at James… whoa, I'm nearly crying. He puts his hand to my cheek, its so cool against my skin; I must be blushing again, but I don't really care. I'm too busy getting lost in his eyes - those amazing pools of hazel looking down at me hungrily.

"James… I -"

"Shhhh…."

He puts his finger to my lips. My stomach is full of butterflies. James runs his finger down my cheek to the inside of my neck. His face is so close to mine, but he doesn't move to kiss me again. His warm breath is sending shivers up and down my spine - I'm captivated, I can't move. Slowly, he pulls my hands up to his chest and slides his own to sit in my lower back.

Now he leans in again and presses his mouth onto mine, holding me closer. There go the fireworks again - my mind is exploding. I, Lily Evans, am kissing James Potter in the corner of the Trophy room where we are supposed to be polishing awards for detention. Merlin, there must be something wrong with me, because you know what else? I'm actually liking it.

My hands slide up to James' soft black hair - I need to be closer to him. Not that we aren't already eating each others' faces off, but I need to be closer just the same. He must agree because he's now got me in a death grip. I don't think either of us want this to end… it's too perfect.

But what if we get caught?

I rip myself away from James' lips and take a deep breath. I feel dizzy. I hope James doesn't let me go; I might just fall over.

"James, what if we get caught?" I ask, breathless.

He just flashes me that smile and tries to kiss me again. But as much as I'd like him to, I turn away. Undeterred, he nibbles my ear. It tickles.

"Please, James… hahaha… just…"

"Lily, don't worry so much," he mumbles, then stops and looks at me, "I've waited too long for this to care about anything as silly as a teacher finding us."

Again he smiles, that charming, amazing smile. I run my hands through his hair again and he shivers. I grin back at him, and pull his face to mine again.

_I wanna love you but I better not touch  
__I wanna hold you, but my senses tell me to stop  
__I wanna kiss you but I want it too much  
__I wanna taste you but your lips are venomous poison  
__You're poison running through my veins  
__You're poison  
__I don't wanna break these chains_

I don't know how we're going to get anything done for detention now. I don't even want to stop kissing him, let alone leave his strong warm embrace. At the moment, I don't think there's a bone in my body that doesn't feel like its going to snap at any second… but it feels so good. Why, on Merlin's beard, did I ever want to hate this guy? He has so much passion!

James picks me up slightly and spins me so that my back is to the wall. Wow, he's strong - must be all that Quidditch. He has pinned me to the wall with his body and his hands are now in my hair, getting tangled in its fiery curls. If we go at this much longer, I think I'll be bruised from head to toe… so again I reluctantly pull my lips away from his.

"James…" he kisses me again. "James we need… need to finish polishing these… trophies," I finish in between kisses.

"But Lily…" he kisses me again.

"No," I say with a little more strength now, "we… we can do this any other time."

He stops and looks at me, his face full of incredulous elation. I can feel his hands trembling in my hair.

"You mean it?" he asks.

I smile at him and steal a quick kiss.

"Yes, I mean it," I say sweetly and push him away slightly so that I'm no longer squashed. "I… really do like you James."

James kisses me again, softly this time.

"Well, I love you, Lily" he replies challengingly. I laugh.

"I think I just might love you too, James," I say and kiss him on the chin, "but I'm not one to kiss and tell - are you?"

His grin in reply is evil.

"I think I might agree."

"Good." I smile and pick up my polish and cloth. "Now back to work."

The time is passing rather quickly now. I have no idea how long we were kissing for but now, in between quick kisses to keep up our spirits, we're working double time to finish polishing every trophy in the room. Just now, I'm polishing my last award - a small brown wooden frog - and I can hear the spell on the door being lifted. James runs his finger up the inside of my arm, so that when Professor McGonagall opens the door, my face is flushed. I turn to him as if I'm about to get angry but stop as if I just realised that the professor has entered.

"Are you all done?" she asks, a smile playing at her lips. I'm sure she knows what we've been up to.

"Yes professor," I say with a sigh and set down the frog trophy, "these were our last ones."

She nods approvingly and pulls out our wands. I take my wand and put it back into my pocket before handing back the polish tin and now grimy cloths, and James does the same.

"Well, I guess you can go back to your common room then," she tells us. "And I hope I don't have to see you in detention again, Miss Evans."

I hang my head, to hide my smile and nod. Then James and I walk out the door together. Quickly, we walk down several hallways, until we're sure that we've left Professor McGonagall far behind us. Then James grabs my hand and pulls me off to the side, behind a tapestry.

"I think I could get used to this secret business," he tells me with a cheeky grin.

"Hmmm…"

We kiss, slowly and painfully, like we haven't seen each other for years.

"Yeah…" I reply, breathing hard, "I think I could too."

_Poison!_


End file.
